Have you ever gotten out of your vehicle with your hands full, or when you are trying to get your kids inside and thinking about what to cook for dinner, and forgotten to lock your car? We are all busy. I get it. But we have to get better at locking our vehicles when we get home, go to the store or the office, or when we run into the gas station quickly.
Too many people in Bluffton are becoming victims of a preventable crime, and that is theft because of not locking their vehicles. Personal items like cell phones, computers, purses and wallets are being stolen from vehicles that are unlocked. What’s even worse, there are a few cases in which handguns have been stolen out of unlocked vehicles. The Bluffton Police Department has been publicizing the #9PMroutine on their social media sites for several month, and I would like to remind everyone to get in the habit of doing the #9PMroutine. The hashtag reminds residents to make sure:
- Vehicles, residences, garages, windows, gates, and sheds are locked.
- Exterior lights, security cameras, and alarm systems are activated.
- Valuables (including keys) from vehicles, yards, and patios are brought inside.
Police worry about criminals noticing an item in a car, checking the doors to see if they’re locked, and then committing the burglary because they aren’t. Everyone, this is a small action that can have a big payoff!
Sometimes I find that remembering to do the simplest things can save a lot of stress in many ways. I am a person who has a lot on my mind in the afternoon, and now I remind myself at 9 p.m. to check the locks on cars and our house.
Nowadays, even if your hands are full as you enter your home, you can go back and hit the lock button on your key fob from your front door. You don’t even have to go outside. If you tend to forget to lock your vehicle (and we aren’t perfect), at least please bring in all valuables or lock the valuables in your glove compartment or trunk. Lock it or lose it. Do the #9PMroutine.
